Somebody Elses
by castlenova
Summary: Pre-IM era. Tony and Pepper and how they might have been before Iron Man came along.
1. Chapter 1

_I know that I've got other stories on the go but this came into my head and I couldn't get it to leave so here we go..._

 _Prologue_

 _Neither of them was sure how it happened but somewhere in the whirlwind of their own personal challenges they were thrown together._

 _In the aftermanth it looked like a one-way thing but it wasn't. It was just that Pepper Potts did not want to become another statistic on Tony Stark's ever growing list of conquests._

 _It had happened once. Only once. She had made it very clear to him that it had started and ended in one instance and it would stay that way. At first he'd protested and tried everything to charm her back onside but when the rebukes kept coming he retreated. Their rapport retained its colour but there was an added bite every time Tony made a questionable remark and she had flashbacks to their one, she had to admit, blissful night together._

 _Every now and then, on nights when she was alone and feeling very much that way, she contemplated calling him. She thought about going over and surprising him, admitting that maybe she'd been hasty, that actually she'd been lying to him and herself. But she stopped herself. It had been nearly two years - the ship, she thought to herself more often than not, had sailed._

 _Anyway, knowing Tony he was probably being well looked after by someone else._


	2. Chapter 2

_Double chapter today because the prologue was so short... Enjoy and please review!_

Chapter 1

Tony Stark groaned as, for not the first time very the last two years, his mind wandered to the perfect curves of his PA and his photographic memory was a curse at times like this. He poured another glass of scotch and thumbed through the address book on his cell.

A little black book it was not. The only numbers he had were Pepper's, Rhodey, Obi and one or two of the engineers in SI.

It was a depressing realisation - his relationships, if you could even call them that, were frequent, fleeting and finite. He was truly alone.

He could have gone out,he knew that. He could have walked into any club in the city and picked up a handful of women. But his heart wasn't in it.

For not the first time he considered calling her. He didn't know what he'd say or do but... he'd at least hear her voice.

He refilled his glass.

***

In work nothing changed. Their banter continued, the office whispers about them continued and she did her best to keep him in line.

Nearly two and a half years after they were together, Pepper found herself on an impromptu night out with two friends visiting the city. About three hours into the night, she found herself sitting at the bar, being charmed by a tall, blond man with impeccable manners. About an hour after that she found herself kissing him goodnight with his promise to call her fresh in her mind.

He wouldn't call.

He did call.

A few weeks later, Tony happened to run into her and Josh at a restaurant. Pepper's first concern was that she hadn't had this engagement in his schedule but he laughed and told her it was a last-minute invite from Obi. She frowned because she knew she'd told Obi she was coming here and he hadn't mentioned any plans.

She'd introduced Tony and Josh, and noticed the smile that didn't reach her boss' eyes. She felt uncomfortable even though Tony behaved perfectly normal.

In truth, she felt like he'd just caught her cheating on him.

The following day he made small talk, asked how long they'd been going out, if he'd met her parents and all of the other expected questions.

He asked if she was happy and she lied with a smile on her face.

A smile that he saw through, and she knew it.


	3. Chapter 3

_So what happened between the two? Let's find out - reviews feed the insecure writer..._

Chapter 2

 _Two and a half years earlier..._

The door had slammed with a sense of finality and she had got in her car and sped away before she even thought about where she was going.

It wasn't until she was well on the road toward his Malibu mansion that she was struck by how it had been a reflex action. In the five years she had worked for Tony Stark their relationship had developed beyond boss and employee - they were close friends and she was glad to have him in her life.

Especially on occasions like this.

***

Tony didn't look up when he heard the bell ring. JARVIS wouldn't have let an unknown in without telling him.

But he was surprised that anyone who knew him would come to the house given the time of year. Every year, in the run up to Christmas he withdrew from public appearances and locked himself away to mourn the loss of his parents. He generally did so with copious amounts of alcohol but he was yet to start into the scotch.

Instead he was sitting at the coffee table looking through old family photographs that he'd dug out of storage down in the shop. He had had the leather bound album in his room for quite some time but only ever looked at it at this time of year.

When Pepper found him in the living room he was thumbing a photograph of he and his mother with a ferris wheel in the background. He didn't remember the day but it was clear from his face that he was overjoyed. He felt his eyes watering and he closed them, taking a deep breath.

"Pepper, what are you doing here?"

She moved cautiously to the couch, realising the date and being both glad and regretting coming.

"I...I wanted to see a friendly face," she said honestly. He looked up and offered her a teary, sad smile.

"Sorry to disappoint," he shrugged and she edged close to him, one hand going around his shoulder, the other onto his bicep.

"Your face is never disappointing and I'm never sorry to see it," she said warmly, dropping her head on his shoulder. He twisted his neck to look down at her and dropped a kiss on her hair, breathing in her scent and sighing with as much content as he could muster.

"Pepper...are you ok?" and he felt her nod against his shoulder.

"Yeah, it's not important. I'm sorry, I haven't...I should have realised that you..." she didn't know how to tell him that she'd been too wrapped up with a disintegrating relationship to realise he was in mourning for his parents. He shushed her, pulling back from her and taking her shoulders in his hands.

"Pep, come on. What's going? Is it Zac?"

She closed her eyes and nodded her head before admitting that they had split up.

"Everything was fine, I thought but...When we went for dinner tonight he told me it wasn't working and 'it wasn't me, it was him'."

Tony groaned and wondered aloud if anyone ever bought that line. She sniffed.

"Well I didn't and as it happens, it was actually the 22 year old blond in his office..."

Tony raised his eyebrows, "No way, he was cheating?"

She nodded, saying he'd said he'd felt at a standstill with her for a long time but he didn't know how to broach the subject.

"Jeez Pepper, I'm sorry. What a stupid asshole."

"I know. He could have talked to me..."

Tony looked at her and realised she hadn't caught his meaning. He slid an arm around her shoulder and pulled her to him.

"Not quite what I meant Pep."

"I don't..."

"He's a stupid asshole for letting you go. He'd have to live for a million years to find anyone as amazing as you."

She looked at him, smiling through her tears.

"I don't feel very amazing."

He brought his free hand up to her cheek, stroked it softly, his breath hitching when she leaned into his touch. He shook his head, in awe of her.

"Amazing people never do," and he leaned forward to rest his forehead against hers. Their breaths intermingled for a moment before Pepper took the initiative and pressed her lips to his softly. He opened his eyes and found then staring straight into hers.

"I'm sorry," she said quickly but he shook his head.

"I'm not," he smiled at her and she slapped his chest with the back of her hand.

He pulled her close so that her head rested on his chest and he sat back on the couch. He held her tightly, one hand stroking her hair, the other holding her tight to him.

She felt her eyes closing in contentment.

"Why is this so hard every year Pep?" he finally said in a small voice. In an instant he was the little boy of many years ago trying to make sense of his parents death. She stroked his chest softly.

"Because they're your parents Tony. And..."

He looked down at her, catching her eye in a question. She swallowed.

"...because you haven't found a satisfactory way to deal with it,"

It was something she'd said to him before and he'd fought her immediately. On this occasion he was silent, choosing instead to stroke her hair through his fingers. She waited for a response, enjoying the feel of his hands on her.

"You being here...it makes it easier. Thank you."

She looked up at him and smiled, saying that she could say the same to him. They sat in silence for a long time until both dozed off to sleep.

***

Tony was the first to wake a few hours later and he became aware of the weight across his chest. He reached up to take the hand on his chest, brushing her fingers to his lips and sighing at the softness.

He looked down at her peceful, sleeping face and was almost afraid to breathe for fear of waking her.

"Zac, you grade A asshole, hurting my girl like that. What I wouldn't give to be you, you ass..."

He closed his eyes enjoying the feel of her against his body and trying to calm his over active libido.

"You could never be Zac. You're ten times the man he is," she said warmly and clearly, leaving him in no doubt that she was awake.

"Hmmm, look at you. Ninja sleeper," he chuckled, kissing the top of her head again. This was too easy, too comfortable, he was waiting for someone to pinch him and wake him up. She sat up and faced him.

"I'm serious Tony. And I think you're putting me on too much of a pedestal."

He shook his head at that replying thay there wasn't one high enough for her. She blushed and he squeezed her arm. That seemed to shake her from her reverie.

"It's late, I should..."

"Stay," he said, finishing her sentence for her. She hesitated and he pointed out how late it was, how tired she was and how he would fret the whole night in case something happened to her.

"Come on," he said, standing and offering her his hand. Taking a deep breath she took his hand, shrieking lightly when he pulled her so firmly that she ended up bumping chests with him. Their earlier kiss was playing on both of their minds. It was just a matter of who would break first.

This time it was him. He brought both hands to her cheeks, framing her face and unceremoniously kissed her until they were both breathless.

"I should..." she started again.

"Stay," he repeated as his lips latched onto her neck and she nodded in surrender.

"Yeah."

***

She woke first the next day, warmed by the feel of his arms around her, his beard soft on her back and his breath making her spine tingle.

She felt a glorious ache of the muscles in her thighs and tried to stretch without loosing his grip.

After it became clear that she wasn't going to get back to sleep and he wasn't waking up any time soon, she slowly extracted herself from his grip with the intention of finding breakfast in his kitchen. Pulling on the panties he had slid off her the night before and the shirt he had worn, she padded down the stairs and began rifling through the kitchen cupboards.

As she fried up some pancake mix he entered the room, dressed in just his jeans from the night before. He slid in behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her neck.

"I could get used to this," he murmured and she pushed the niggling feeling of doubt away, choosing instead to smile at him and say this was her way of saying 'thank you for last night'. He nibbled on her ear and whispered, "I can think of a few other ways that would work too..."

She extracted herself from his grip and quickly said, "Tony, we need to talk." He frowned and stepped back from her which didn't help her resolve because now she had a clear view of his well defined chest.

"People always say that before telling me stuff I don't want to hear," he said quietly and her heart thumped a little harder at her.

"I think..." she began but he cut in.

"You think last night was a mistake, I know, I get it."

She shook her head, "No. I don't think it was a mistake. I think it was something that happened at a precise moment when we were both on the same wavelength and it was right...so right."

She paused and he waited for her to continue.

"...but I don't think it should happen again," she finally finished and he blinked before taking a step toward her.

"Sorry...it wasn't a mistake but yet it shouldn't happen again? What?"

She looked at the ground, her hands wringing against each other until one of his covered them and his hand tipped her chin up.

"Tony...we can't, we work together, it wouldn't be professional, we're both looking for different things... last night was great but, it was just one moment, just a moment when it just felt right."

He didn't look away from her and simply replied "It always feels right with you."

She closed her eyes and nodded but then shook her head. He couldn't see it but it was obvious to her that the previous night had been the result of two grieving people leaning on each other. It could never work between them - at least that was what she told herself.

"I'm sorry Tony." She stepped away from him and bit his lip.

"This is the first time I haven't drank myself stupid on my parents' anniversary. That's down to you, having you with me here. Pepper, I don't know what you want but I can learn and I can do whatever it is you want."

"Until the next Maxim calendar comes out," she replied dryly and he banged his hand down on the counter.

"Damn it. That's not fair. This is different."

"How?" she asked and he was stumped. He hadn't expected her to ask that and now that she had he didn't know the answer. He couldn't tell her that he loved her - she'd run a mile. And anyway, he wasn't sure if it was love or the idea of being in love with her that he was experiencing. He looked away and she stepped close to him, taking his face in her hands and kissing his lips softly.

"I'm sorry. I'll see you Monday."

He nodded his head and watched her disappear back to the bedroom. Sniffing, he moved back to the living room and picked up the photo album, looking at the photograph of he and his mother. He couldn't help thinking she'd knew exactly what he should do.

But she wasn't there and the only other woman he could trust to steer him right, was fleeing.

Sighing he made his way down to the shop, feeling very alone all of a sudden.

*****


	4. Chapter 4

_Soooo sorry about delay - you would not believe my life at the moment! To make up for it...double posting! Enjoy and leave a review._

Chapter 3

He'd found about Josh by accident. Or at least he thought it was. He'd frowned when Obi had walked into the office that particular afternoon and suggested going for dinner with him and two female acquaintances of his.

Tony hadn't felt much like any kind of socialising but he didn't want Obi sniffing around as to the reason why so he agreed, forcing himself to act with some semblance of enthusiasm.

His eyes had widened in the restaraunt when he walked in to find Pepper's long legs taunting him from a seat at the bar. His eyes had narrowed again when he spotted the male hand resting lightly on her knee. He swallowed and looked around, wondering if he could run before she spotted him but he was out of luck.

"Obadiah? Tony? This is a...surprise," she said standing up but Tony noted the tone of her voice. She was surprised, yes. But there was something else too. Something he couldn't put his finger on. So instead he smiled and shook her boyfriend's hand, made small talk and tried, for the most part, to keep his eyes off of her.

He didn't entirely succeed and at one point she caught him watching the expressions flutter over her face and she blushed, looking away from him.

She'd quickly excused them after that and headed to opposite ends of the restaurant to enjoy dinner.

Tony had stumbled his way through a main course before feigning illness and leaving.

IM * IM * IM * IM * IM *

In work, he maintained a decorum of professionalism but the flirtatious remarks he'd once lavished on his personal assistant became almost extinct. They spoke, they argued (as always) and they still had a strong working relationship. But the colour was gone. They were strictly professional now and he knew that there were rumours flying around the corridors.

Pepper Potts was surprised when her boyfriend started arriving to her office. They'd only been going out a few months when he began to bring lunch to her, remarking that she worked so hard he felt like he had to feed her. She'd quickly got him off site under the pretense of visiting a nearby park to enjoy their sandwich.

But, that one moment had set a standard and soon Pepper started finding Josh sitting at her desk while he waited for her to return from a meeting. The first time that had happened, she'd been shocked to see him there. Tony hadn't said anything but simply breezed past her into his office, shutting the door with a little more force than usual.

"Bad meeting?" Josh had asked jokingly and she raised her eyebrows and nodded her head. Again, she'd quickly extricated him from the area.

She'd tried, nicely, to explain to him that her workplace was off limits for him – mainly because it was full of things that could kill him but he'd simply laughed and said he was just looking out for her wellbeing. She sighed because she knew that was true. He was a caring guy and if she was working in a real estate office or anywhere where she hadn't slept with her boss and seemingly broken his heart, she would be delighted to have her own personal lunch delivery man.

It was when she and Tony had come back from a particularly hellish meeting to find Josh sitting again at her desk with a huge vase of flowers alongside him that Tony lost his cool. He disappeared into his office, again saying nothing but re-emerged a few minutes later to see Pepper trying to convince her boyfriend to bring the flowers to her place and she'd be home later.

"Pepper, you got some time? These spreadsheets are...weird." It was the only word he could think of. He heard Josh saying he would wait and he found himself remarking "They're really weird. This is going to take a while." His tone of voice was clear – get out of my building now. Josh nodded and bid farewell to Pepper, grabbing the flowers and promising to see her later.

Tony held the door as Pepper walked in past him, planner in hand though she knew damn well that there was nothing wrong with any of the spreadsheets. Mainly because there were no spreadsheets in the file.

He pushed the door closed behind her and turned after her. He stood for a moment until finally she turned around.

"Pepper, this isn't fair. As much as I don't like it, I get that you've moved on – it doesn't mean you've got to parade the new guy around under my damn nose."

She held a hand up at that and shook her head.

"I'm not parading anything Tony, you think I'm asking him to come in here? It's just as awkward for me, you know!"

"Well then what the hell is he doing in here? You can't be making too much of an effort to keep him away..."

She looked away at that, infuriated by him, disgusted that he thought she would be so cruel as to do that to him. He was still talking however and she just had to let him sail through his tirade.

"This is already hard enough without seeing your douchebag boyfriend circling your desk like a damn bloodhound. It's pathetic!"

She stopped him with a hand on his arm. She looked him in the eye for a moment until he took a deep breath and looked away from her.

"Tony. Do you honestly think that I would be so cruel as to do that? Really? Because if you do then we have a problem here..."

He shook his head – he didn't think that was the case at all. He knew it wasn't. But he couldn't confront Josh about it which left the only person left for the firing line was her. He shook his head and apologised to her.

"I know it's not deliberate, I do. I just..."

"If it helps, it's annoying me that he keeps turning up here too," she said quickly and he sensed some slight trepidation. He slyly suggested some security upgrades to which she responded that she thought it was a great idea. He grinned and nodded his head.

"I'm sorry I had a go at you. I just...I hate seeing you with him. Or anyone for that matter. I know you don't believe me and think I'm just wanting what I can't have but...that's not the case. I..."

Her hand on his jaw stopped him. She shook her head sadly at him.

"Stop Tony, please."

He grasped her hand, the one on his face and turned his head towards it, kissing her palm. She pulled her hand away from him, biting her lip.

"Pepper, if you would just listen to me..."

"No, Tony. We've been over this. Please don't do this."

He growled as he stepped away from her but his anger was rising dramatically.

"Tell me it meant nothing. Hmm? Go on, tell me what happened between us meant absolutely nothing and you've been able to forget all about it and move on."

She looked at him with a look of fury on her face and he knew he'd got her. He didn't know what good that would be but at least it felt like some sort of small victory to him.

"Tony. What happened was..."

"I know. A moment that happened at just the right time for just the right reasons. Well, you know what, I call bullshit on that. What happened between us happened because everything about it and everything leading up to it was right. And it was right because it was you, and it was me. It wasn't because you were on a rebound and I was depressed over my parents – it was because you were you and I was me, and we are right together."

She looked away from him. He'd struck a chord and she could feel her resolve starting to wane, the butterflies in her stomach starting to flutter like the night they'd spent together. She didn't speak because she couldn't. She didn't know what to say anyway.

"Some day maybe you'll realise that," she heard him say softly as he turned away towards his desk.

She moved to exit the office when he called her back.

"I think key cards for everywhere after our main reception – employees only. Sound good?"

She smiled and nodded her head, telling him she'd get in touch with their security sector immediately.

He smiled in response as she left the office. He sat down with a sigh.


	5. Chapter 5

As time went by it got easier. Tony got used to seeing her and Josh together at functions while he generally went stag and found himself the centre of much female attention. All of it unwanted.

He'd slept with one or two women since Pepper – always when she wasn't present at whatever event or club he happened to be at, and always when he was blind drunk. They weren't brought to the mansion – Tony had more than one hotel willing to give him a hotel room at a moment's notice. It meant firstly that he could flee as soon as the woman was asleep and secondly, Pepper didn't have to deal with them the following morning.

But apart from those few occasions, Tony Stark was probably the least-sexed he had ever been in his adult life.

It wasn't until one particular incident that his newfound celibacy was cast into the limelight and Pepper, of course, had to deal with it. In more ways than one.

IM * IM * IM * IM *

The Fireman's Ball was something Tony attended religiously - he'd had reason to call them plenty of times so he was always generous when their annual event came around.

He'd arrived on his own again this year again and had vowed that he would try to be his old self. But when the first sight of the night was Pepper in a backless black dress he was ready to throw himself off the balcony.

That was where she found him later in the night after she'd mingled through the room. She hadn't told Josh that she'd been specifically looking for Tony. Her boyfriend's opinion of her boss was not terribly high - it was something they argued about quite regularly.

He didn't look up when he heard the door open or when he heard her warm greeting.

"So this is where you're hiding."

He stared into his glass, finger tracing the rim of it before knocking back the contents.

"You having a good time?" he asked eventually, his eyes finally engaging with hers. She nodded, said it was the usual affair and that Josh seemed to enjoy it more. He had been marvelling at how quickly the women had flocked around Tony.

"Hmm, except the one I want," he said pointedly and she sighed. He stood up and apologised for making her feel uncomfortable.

"You look amazing," he said softly and she smiled, returning the compliment and taking his hand.

"Come on, buy me a drink. Boss."

He smirked and pushed off the wall, following her inside. He wanted to maintain his hold on her hand but knew too many heads would turn. He gave it a quick squeeze before relinquishing his hold on her. Reluctantly.

He followed her around the edge of the dance floor to the corner of the bar where she ordered his usual scotch and her usual martini. Silence descended between them – it was vaguley uncomfortable. Finally he cleared his throat.

"So, how are things with Josh?" he grabbed his drink and took a long sip from it, as though speaking the other man's name would choke him. It felt like it would. She knew that too and she smiled at him.

"He's fine. You don't want to talk about Josh."

He nodded his head and ran his eyes over her again, admiring the dress and how it hugged tightly to her body. He remarked that it was a great dress and she told him it had been a birthday present. From him. He took another slug of his drink before placing it down louder than he'd intended. She jumped slightly.

"I've got good taste," he said pointedly before clearing the rest of his drink and stepping closer to her, mouth open to say something else when he felt a hand slapping his shoulder. He turned around unimpressed to be face-to-face with Obi, flanked by Josh who was smirking slightly. Tony didn't like the guy.

"Tony, there you are! We were wondering if you and Miss Potts had eloped!" Tony shot a curious look at his colleague while Pepper simply chuckled, remarking that even at social events she was tasked with keeping Tony in line. He smiled at her and nodded his head before ordering another round of drinks for them all. He noticed Josh watching him as he did. He really didn't like this guy and because of that, he emphasised all of his motions around Pepper.

He let his hand fall to her hip when he reached past her, made sure their hands brushed when he handed her her drink and made sure to cast longing glances in her direction when he knew Josh was watching.

Eventually, as the party began to wind down, Tony decided it was time for him to make an exit while Josh and Pepper were thinking likewise. After messaging Happy, he bid his goodnight to them, shaking Josh by the hand and noticing the firm grip of the taller man. He smiled at Pepper and noted that she looked nervous.

He leaned in and kissed her cheek softly, before bringing his lips to her ear and whispering, "You really do look gorgeous."

With that, he smiled and made his exit, giving the happy couple behind him plenty to think about. He knew it was a shitty thing to do to Pepper but he didn't like this Josh guy and he didn't think he was right for her.

IM * IM * IM * IM * IM *

When he felt the tug on his arm he had the fleeting hope that it was Pepper. So when he turned around to be met by a, not unattractive brunette, he was disappointed. The woman was forward and suggestive and Tony considered his options carefully, eventually wondering what he had to lose. If Pepper could do it, why couldn't he?

With little to no persuasion, she joined him in the car and Happy, frowning slightly, raised the partition screen as the woman straddled his boss and began to kiss him. At first Tony responded eagerly but after a few moments it became clear that he wasn't feeling it. She noticed too.

"What's wrong? I thought you were..."

He held up his hand, apologising.

"I'm sorry. I...I don't think this is going to happen tonight," he shrugged but she wasn't taking no for an answer. Pushing back along his legs, her hands wen to his fly.

"It's ok Tony. I bet I can get your engine running..."

"No, I really don't think you can," he said firmly. She slid to her knees in front of him and, slightly panicked, he reached and re-zipped his pants and pulled her back into a sitting position next to him. She turned on him, disgusted.

"What's the problem here?"

He didn't want this conversation, "Nothing, it's just not a good time, alright?"

"No, not alright. You're Tony Stark..."

"Last I checked."

"You're legendary..."

Tony couldn't believe this girl was getting annoyed that he wasn't about to add her to his bedpost.

"I wouldn't say that..."

"Bullshit, you've slept with half of this country..."

He was getting agitated, "Again, that's not accurate..."

"So why not me? What's wrong with me?"

He snapped, "You're not her! That's what's wrong – you're...not her."

The brunette looked at him, shocked, before asking who he was talking about. He told her it didn't matter before telling her to give her address to Happy. As they rode to the address she had given, she asked again who he'd been talking about.

"It doesn't matter. Someone I...someone I loved who, didn't see a way for it to work. She didn't feel the same or...I don't know. Whatever."

The woman asked when this had happened and he told her about two-and-a-half years earlier which caused her to whistle in surprise at how long he'd been carrying the hurt around. She proceeded to ask if he'd been celibate for that length of time and he laughed.

"More or less, yeah. So you see, it's not you, it's me. Wow, finally an occasion where that line is actually true. How ironic..."

"How's it ironic?" she asked and he shook his head, telling her it was a private joke. When they got to her place, she kissed his cheek and stepped from the car. Tony wasted no time in telling Happy to get him home. As fast as he could.


	6. Chapter 6

_Ooooo-kay! So life kinda caught up on me the past few weeks and then festivities which meant serious neglect for this fic. But, here's an update._

 _IM*IM*IM_

Tony was strongly considering cracking open a bottle of scotch and it was only 10am. He was listening to Pepper relay the highlights of an article that had run about him in one of the more widely-read trashy magazines.

"She was a columnist," he said solemnly, pinching his temples between his fingers. "God damn it," he said, standing up and moving around the desk to his computer, typing his name into the search bar and looking for the latest news – 200 articles.

He put his head in his hands for a moment before looking up.

"What do we do?" he asked finally. She looked at him sympathetically and sat down to discuss his options.

IM*IM*IM*

The brunette had been one May Lewis. She'd got into Tony's car with the intention of having a good night but had got out with a good story. The magazine ran with an article about the billionaire arms dealer being heartbroken over a lost love and living as a recluse. Soon, the other trash sites picked up on it and before too long Tony was a discussion topic at every water cooler and had gone from being heartbroken to diseased and impotent.

One particular outlet ran with a story about him and Pepper, pointing out that she'd been the only woman photographed with him for a long time and rehashing the old speculation about them.

Pepper barely gave it a second glance – she was used to the relatively frequent speculation that these magazines ran about her and him - but Josh was livid.

"How the hell can they write this about you? All because he fucked the wrong girl in the back of his car!"

Pepper tightened her jaw but tried to remain cheery, "He didn't fuck her – that's the reason it 's a story." Josh grumbled under his breath.

"I still don't see why you've been dragged into it. And who's the girl he was in love with, what's that about?" There it was, the question Pepper didn't want to be asked. She coughed and stifled a laugh.

"Josh, please. It's Tony. There's no girl. The story is obviously made up. Anyway, even if there was someone, I couldn't tell you – goes against all confidentiality agreements."

Josh stood up, closing over the paper and stepping closer to her.

"Oh, come on. Give me some nugget of dirt on him. I get the feeling he doesn't like me very much. Think that's why he got me kicked out of your office?"

Her words caught in her throat on that and she began to cough. She felt his hand on her back, rub along her spine in a soothing gestrue but given the conversation, it felt anything but calming.

"Josh, come on, you know that's not the case. I told you what happened in that lab - our security had been due an upgrade for ages and when that guy we fired managed to walk right into the lab and start smashing things up, we had to take action on it. I'm sorry if it inconveniences you but it certainly makes ME feel safer at my desk..."

She knew that dragging the conversation back to her own feelings of security would direct him off of it as he'd simply agree that anything that reassured her was a good thing. She'd come up with the story of a disgruntled employee after Tony installed the keycards on the doors. The truth was that a raging rhino couldn't have broken into any of the Stark labs such was the security on them. She was pretty sure the rest of the company knew exactly whey the extra door locks were installed but she didn't care anymore.

"Hmmm I know that. I'm still not happy about this trash talk about you in these rags though. Is there anything I can do about it?"

"Absolutely not." she said as quickly as her breathing would allow her. That was the last thing she needed - her boyfriend going on a crusade to defend her honor. Not only would it make Tony sick but she wouldn't get an ounce of peace for weeks after the tabs all ran a piece speculating that Tony's woes were a result of her and her new boyfriend who would be described as a "hunk" even though he wasn't exaclty a Miami surf boy. She conveyed those thoughts to him, leaving the last part out.

"Ok I see your point but what I don't get is...why isn't the guy bringing girls home?"

That was a question Pepper wanted the answer to, too. But again she shrugged, saying it was a fabricated story and he was probably waking up with three blondes right now.

"Or he's realized that he's slept with everyone and is afraid to go back around again..." snapped Josh. She smiled politely and kissed him before he left for the evening. He had to fly to Washington the next day for a business meeting and had decided that he would stay at his place, close to the airport, to make things easier. Pepper was secretly glad. Josh had been spending a lot of nights at her place which was fine but left her with little time to herself.

And there was something that she really needed to do tonight.

He was tinkering in the shop when JARVIS alerted him to her car approaching. He nodded and continued what he was doing, yelping at Dummy and U to clean up the materials he'd been using earlier. Arc Reactor technology was something that he was going to master if it was the last thing he did.

He cranked up the volume on his music, deciding that he didn't need to hear her high heels clacking down the steps. He pulled a design blueprint from the computer up onto the workspace in front of him and twisted it with his hand, looking at the schematics. He frowned as he tapped his feet along with the music.

Until it suddenly stopped.

"Hi Pepper," he called in response to the stop, sitting back down at the computer screen, not turning to see her. She was looking at the blueprints.

"What is this?" she asked, curious and he informed her that he was taking another look at arc reactor technology and she nodded her head. This wasn't why she was here. She walked to his desk and it was only then that he looked at her, seeing her dressed in a pair of jeans that accentuated all the best parts of her and a t-shirt with sandals. Her face was clear of make-up and her hair was tied in a loose ponytail. His breath caught in his throat.

"We need to talk," she said softly and that pulled him back to reality. He stood up and moved around the hologram.

"About what?"

"You know what."

He stopped and walked back around to face her where she stood. She swallowed at his proximity. He searched her face for any sign of intention. When he couldn't find any, he sat down and looked up at her.

"You first."

She nodded and pulled a chair from behind her out to sit down in front of him.

"The article..."

"...was the bogus ramblings of a drunk man. You said it yourself," he replied quickly and she shook her head.

"Tony, we both know that that's not the truth."

He sat back, looking away from her for a minute before turning back and holding eye contact with her.

"I didn't think you were interested in the truth. You weren't before..."

She stood up at that, angrily kicking her chair out of the way, causing him to startle.

"God damn it Tony! You told that woman..." she didn't know how to finish her sentence. She hoped that by trailing off he would understand what she was asking and not draw out her discomfort any more. No such luck.

"I told her the damn truth! Just like I tried to tell you but you wouldn't listen!"

He was in her face now, his heavy breathing mixing with her own sharply taken breaths. She looked down and shook her head. He still hadn't answered the question she'd wanted to ask. His chest was heaving as he watched the emotions play across her face. Finally she looked up at him and he raised an eyebrow at her. She swallowed hard and went to speak.

But she was cut off by the feel of his lips on hers, his hands pulling her hips roughly to him and his tongue plunging into her mouth. She could do nothing but grasp his face in her hands and ride out the assault he had launched on her.

Much like their first night together, they broke only when breathless, resting their foreheads against each other.

"Did you meant it?" she asked finally.

"Mean what?" he looked at her and she looked into his eyes.

"When you told her you loved me."

He smiled at her and shook his head, not believing that she still didn't get it. He took her face between his hands and kissed her lips softly.

"Yes. But I lied slightly. I didn't tell her that I still love you. Have always loved you. And will always love you."

She stood speechless, her hands on his wrists. He did the only thing he could think to do and pulld her into a tight hug, letting his face fall to her hair where she rested her face against his chest. The memory of having her wrapped around him came back to him and he tightened his grasp on her. He became aware of her mumbling something into his chest and asked her to repeat it in English.

She turned her face out of his chest enough to be coherent, "I love you too," she said, hugging him tighter. He sighed happily before telling JARVIS to pack his projects away.

"Where's Josh?" he asked, stepping back to lead her upstairs.

"Washington."

"When's he back?"

"Not until Monday," she said and he smirked, pulling her into his body. Her hands rested on his stomach through his t-shirt. He kissed her, pulling her close to him before turning and leading her up the stairs past the living room and up again towards his bedroom. He fully planned on not letting her leave until Monday morning. Or at all if he could.

He kicked the door closed and moved her towards the bed, pulling her t-shirt over her head as he did and letting his hands slide to her jeans, saying he loved her casual look. She pushed his own shirt and jeans off with similar speed and they soon found themselves under the sheets, kissing and exploring each other's bodies again – a long overdue repeat performance.

He brought her to the edge over and over again, and when he finally brought her over it, he swallowed all of her cries with his kisses, tears forming in his eyes as poured all of his love into her until neither could move anymore.

Wrapped around her, he placed kisses on her back and neck and sighed happily as she held his arms around her.

"Pepper..."

"Yeah?"

"Josh..." he began but trailed off when she pulled his arms tighter around her.

"I know. I'll...I'll end it when he gets back."

He kissed her neck again and pulled her more tightly into his embrace.

"Good. I won't share you with any man Pep. I've spent too long watching you with a line of somebody elses. I want to be the somebody now."

She turned in his arms, sliding her leg over his hip to get closer to him and he smirked at her face when she realised that he was almost ready for action again. He winked at her but she wasn't being distracted from their conversation.

"Tony, you don't have to worry. It's taken me a while to realise it but...there's nobody else. Not when there's you."

He kissed her, pushing her back onto her back as he proceeded to demonstrate his love once again.


	7. Chapter 7

_This fic is kinda spiraling in strange directions now but I think I've got a general idea of where it's going. Maybe. Reviews are always welcome!_

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Chapter 7

The following weeks were disastrous. Pepper had stayed in Tony's for the whole weekend, only leaving on Sunday night when she had to go home to get ready for work the next day, and to welcome Josh home from his trip.

He'd called a couple of times while she was with Tony who had growled at the very idea of her answering it. The one call she had taken from him, he had exacted revenge in a very evil but what beame a very pleasurable way once she was sure that that she'd killed the call. And switched off the phone. And buried it in a shelf. She thought about dropping it in the pool just to be sure her boyfriend wouldn't hear her boss getting her off with just his lips and tongue.

"So what was it about the guy that made you want to go out with him?" he'd asked her as they'd sat, naked in bed on Sunday morning, his legs warpped around her from behind as they ate bagels that she had a sneaking suspicion he'd sped out for.

"He's a good guy. He's nice and courteous and respectful and..."

"Boring." he offered quickly and she gave him a dig in the ribs.

"No, he's...I don't know. He wasn't you which was a good thing at the time. And now, the fact that he's not you is a bad thing."

Tony both recoiled and beamed at that – he hated the idea that he'd been such a deterrant to her but loved the fact that she wanted him anyway. He stroked his hand over her hair, pulling her tight with his arms around her and kissing her neck. She moaned into his touch and found her head lolling back against his shoulder, anticipating pleasure once more at his hands.

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He'd kissed her senseless as she left that evening, hoping that she might change her mind but as they broke she stepped back, warning him that none of the company would be impressed if she'd arrived to work in jeans and trainers the next day.

"I could just fire anyone that comments." he'd suggested and she replied that he would have quite an empty compound if he did that.

"I love you." he said as she stepped through the door. She smiled sweetly and told him she loved him too before getting into her car before she lost her resolve.

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For reasons that were kind of but not really beyond her control it was a month later and she was still going out with Josh. His business meeting had gone terribly and she hadn't had the heart to break up with him. The next time she'd planned to split with him, he rang to cancel their date because his father was very sick and he had to go visit. She'd managed to get out of going with him by pointing out that they weren't together long enough for that level of personal introductions, especially not at a time like that.

She had, guiltily, spent the four days in Tony's instead where in between quarrelling over her need to break up with Josh they'd had copious amounts of mindblowing sex and it left Pepper wondering if it would always be like that with him. In other relationships she'd found they'd fallen into a routine and that after a while it was simply a race to the finish line. But with Tony, it was anything but predictable and she found herself gasping at new tricks and moves he introduced her to that seemed to never be expected.

After that, the time never seemed to present itself. Josh's father made a good recovery after surgery and he had come home with a promise to bring his "gorgeous girlfriend" the next time he visited. Pepper had physically thrown up at that suggestion, had blamed it on their sushi and gone home to fret in silence in her room.

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A few weeks later, Pepper and Tony were having an argument in his office. It was a quiet one because of the subject matter and because Obadiah was due to walk through the door any minute now.

"Ugh, you're bringing him to the hospital gala?" Tony was moaning from the seat behind his desk while Pepper sat on the nearby couch, leaning on her elbows.

"Well, what else can I do?"

Tony blinked at her, raising an eyebrow before saying "Uh break up with him like we discussed?"

"Like you discussed, you mean." she'd said it before she really thought it through and immediately regretted it. He stood up, walking towards her.

"You're right, I'm being unreasonable. Of course I should be giving you and your boyfriend my blessing while I'm busy fucking you behind his back!" he hissed, walking past her towards where he kept a stashed bottle of scotch. Obadiah had managed to clear the room of liquor but Tony had always been able to hold onto a secret bottle for emergency/special ocasions.

"Oh, is that what we're doing? Well I'm glad you cleared that up. For a while there I had this crazy idea that there was love involved!" she spat back angrily and he sighed, realising that he had gone too far in his description of what they were. He put the bottle down and turned to catch her as she was heading for the door.

She stopped when she felt his hand on her wrist, drawing her in to him. Her breath hitched when he nuzzled her neck, dropping a kiss on her ear first, then her cheek, then her neck. She melted under his touch, felt her bones softening and the anger ebb out of her.

"I'm sorry." he whispered, wrapping his arm around her waist to pull her closer. His other hand rested lightly on her stomach as he breathed in her scent and kissed her again. "I'm just...frustrated by what's happening here. I want you to myself – not just on the weekends that Josh is away. I told you Pepper, I don't want joint custody here, I want all of you."

She turned in his arms to face him and softly kissed his lips. "You have all of me, believe that. I just, I need to find the right time and way to let Josh down gently. Preferably without him knowing what's been going on."

Tony nodded his head, let his hands slide down her thighs and smirking, he noticed the shiver. He was about to lean in for another kiss when the door began to open and Pepper quickly stepped back, grabbing the documents she'd brought in as part of the pretence for entering his office in the first place.

"It's an 8 p.m. meal which means you'll probably miss the starters, at least."

Tony switched swiftly back into his usual persona and grinning, told her that if he got lucky at the champagne reception he'd be starting with dessert. If Obadiah suspected any tension between the two he certainly didn't let on, instead laughing at the CEO's innuendo and telling him that he was a man after his own heart.

"So what's up Obi? Why'd you hit me with this drop-in meeting?"

Obadiah moved to sit down in front of the desk and Pepper quickly excused herself before both men told her to stay and she returned to her seat on the couch.

"How's that fine boyfriend of yours?" Obadiah asked suddenly and Pepper could see Tony's jaw harden. She smiled and said he was fine.

"His father had a heart attack, didn't he? Good man, Merril, glad to hear he pulled through. I bumped into Josh recently actually..."

Pepper felt her spine stiffen a bit. "Oh? He didn't say?"

Obadiah shook his head. "No, no. I told him not to. Not until everything was finalised."

Pepper frowned and looked at Tony who had looked at her at the exact same time before they both looked at Obadiah.

"Until what was finalised?" Tony was the one to ask. Obadiah smirked, noticing the bottle of scotch on a side-table and chuckling that he should have known he hadn't cleared the room completely. It was the good stuff too, he pointed out.

"Well, as Ms Potts probably knows, he's been having some issues with his current emploer and I happened to point out that there is an financial position opening up with us – Ralph is retiring. I thought he might be glad to be working in such close proximity to his beloved girlfriend..."

"No."

Both Tony and Obadiah looked shocked by the fact that it had come from Pepper.

"Why not? I thought you'd be thrilled by the idea."

Pepper shook her head. "No, not at all. This is my work place, I don't need personal distractions in here." Tony bit his lip to avoid grinning. "I need to come here and do my job and go home. I see lots of Josh as it is. I don't need to see him all day every day. I don't like having my private and personal life squashed together like that."

There was silence for a minute before Pepper apologised saying that of course it wasn't her decision to make but she felt she should point out her own objections to the idea in the interest of fairness. Tony said nothing other than cheekily remarking that he didn't want to be wondering if his PA was off having a quicky in some office.

She had almost laughed at that considering the fact that he had been pestering her for a month to test out the durability of his mahogany desk.

"Well this is kind of awkward" Obadiah said suddenly and Pepper's heart fell. She knew what was coming.

"No" Tony said then, basing his objection completely on Pepper's points and saying that he felt she had been with the company long enough to have earned the right to say if she was uncomfortable and have something done about it.

Obadiah stood up, turning towards the door saying "Well he doesn't start for two weeks so it might give you time to come around to the idea."

Tony was after him, pointing out that he didn't have that right to hire and fire without his approval. The older man simply shook his head and said "My department Tony. Maybe you should reread the company policies."

With that he'd walked out leaving Tony and Pepper standing there, both looking mightily pissed off.

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	8. Chapter 8

Tony cursed loudly and Pepper jumped where she sat going over his schedule and rearranging things so he could get a hair cut and beard trim before the hospital ball.

"Obi's right – this god damn thing gives Heads of Department the final call on hiring and firing. On the upside, if you still haven't got rid of him by then we could just let him catch us in a broom closet."

That remark earned him a paper ball in the head and he smirked, wheeling his chair across to her. He took her hands in his, bringing them to his lips and kissed them, grinning widely at her before leaning forward to kiss her lips, his hand falling to her bare knee and beginning a journey upwards.

"Tony" she warned against his lips.

"Pepper" he replied in an equally warning tone. Her hand fell onto his and stopped him. She sat back in the couch, clearly thoughtful. He knew why and he moved to sit next to her.

"Pepper, honey, you just have to tell him. Sure it won't be easy, it never is. But the longer it goes on the more it'll hurt him."

She nodded her head before asking when he had become the mature, stable person in their relationship. He smirked and replied that he had just needed the right person to influence him. She smiled at that and leaned in to kiss him softly. He slipped his tongue between her lips to deepen the kiss and soon he was pushing her back on the couch, nestling himself between her legs, things threatening to get out of hand rapidly.

"I want you so badly" he whispered in her ear and she whimpered, her hand threading in the hair at the back of his neck that really did need to be cut.

"We can't. Not here."

"Yes we can."

"Tony..."

"Pepper..."

She pushed him up and off her, a disappointed look in her eyes. He peeled himself off of her.

"Come over tonight" he said quickly and she shook her head saying tonight wasn't good. He suggested the following two nights and again got a negative response. Frustrated he stood and walked back to his desk.

"You know, this is kinda worse than watching you with him when I couldn't have you."

Pepper closed her eyes and stood up, walking over to him. She slipped a hand into his hair where he sat and pulled his head against her stomach, her other hand resting on his cheek.

"I'm sorry Tony. I promise, it's not for much longer. Just, let me get the hospital ball over with and then I'll break it off with him I swear. You know I only want you"

He purred under heer touch and nodded his head.

"Are you still sleeping with him?" he asked suddenly and she shook her head replying not if she could help it.

"But you are sometimes."

"Three weeks ago was the last time." she told him confidently and he nodded saying "Ok. Good."

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The hospital gala was a star-studded event that Pepper always wondered how she got invited every year though she was fairly sure it was something to do with Tony liking the opportunity to see her in a dress. She'd much prefer to have been stretched out in sweat pants, watching TV with Tony's arm wrapped around her.

Josh had told her a few days after Obadiah that he'd been offered and had taken a job at Stark Industries, despite his reservations about its CEO who he proceeded to riddicule based on some more crazy headlines he'd seen.

Pepper had stopped him mid-rant to point out that as Tony's PA it was her job to protect his image and that was something she did 24/7 if needed.

"Oh come on babe, I'm only kidding. Anyway, I won't be answering to him but Mr Stane"

Pepper smiled at that replying that everyone answers to Tony, they just might not get to do it in person. She felt an odd tingling off possessiveness as she listened to her boyfriend criticse her lover.

"Well, if I have to go through you first at least I'll have a smile on my face going in."

She'd nodded before faking a sudden dizzy spell and carrying herself off to bed for an early night.

Now they stood at the bar of a very grand occasion and the only thing Pepper was looking for was Tony. She managed to split her attention admirably enough to make conversation with both Josh and any other guests that she knew but her mind was definitely elsewhere.

"Babe? You ok?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine. I just, always find these things overwhelming. Most people, including me, wonder what I'm doing here."

He frowned at that before asking how did she end up at these events given that she wasn't on the executive board. She shrugged her shoulders. But Josh was in speculation overdrive.

"I have a theory. I think Stark secretly has the hots for you and he gets your name on the guestlist for these things so that he can check you out in a dress. It's a voyeuristic thing because he's never managed to sleep with you. Huh, what do you think?" he was grinning but it fell off his face when a voice answered from behind him.

"You've got it in one Josh – I do have a fondness for Ms Potts when she's showing a higher percentage of skin." He flashed her wicked grin, "But I'm sure she's probably told you, that's my general default stage for all members of the fairer sex."

He manage to smile smugly and politely at the same time as he held out a hand to a clearly startled Josh, who began apologising but Tony just waved his hand, telling him not to worry about it. He turned his attentions to Pepper, stepping in to lay a soft kiss on her cheek, next to her ear.

Before pulling away, he whispered "You look good enough to eat. And I should know, I have." He smirked at her, seeing the blush rise on her face and stepping away from her. She felt warmth pool between her legs and she knew he had put a lot of thought into that to make sure that she spent the evening picturing that very act with him.

But, as always, she put on a professional front and smiled at him, thanking him.

The rest of the evening progressed smoothly, Pepper even being convinced to dance with Josh as the night went on. She could feel Tony's eyes on her as she did.

"So this is nice, I can see us becoming the power couple of SI if we keep turning up at these things," Josh said laughing. Pepper gulped at that and simply chuckled in reply. "It's a good move for me babe. For us. In fact, I'd like to talk about our future..."

Pepper thought she'd die on the spot but thankfully, it was that exact moment when Tony decided to cut in, joking that because he'd come alone it was his PA's duty to give him at least one pity dance.

"May I?" he asked, in full charm offensive.

"We're kind of in the middle of something..." Josh began but foudn himself basically pushed out of the way by Tony who muttered "thanks" as he went. Pepper slid into his arms with ease as Josh stepped back off the dance floor and moved to the table where Obadiah was sitting.

"Oh my god" Pepper moaned and Tony smirked.

"Yeah honey, I can't get that image out of my head either."

Pepper shook her head "No, it's not that, it's something Josh said. About 'our future'."

Tony almost stopped dead in the middle of the dance floor but at the last minute instructed his body to continue swaying to the music. "What do you think he was going to say?"

She shrugged. "I don't know – move in together, marriage, get a cat, a plant, who knows? Even if you and I weren't what we are, I don't think I'd want that."

He frowned at that, "What, not at all?"

She realised what she'd said and shook her head, "No, just...not with him."

He nodded and took the risk of stepping a little closer to her in order to whisper in her ear. "You know what you have to do Pep. This is a warning sign. The guys nuts about you and as much as I dislike him I at least admire his excellent taste."

She smiled at that and laughed as he began to whisper more sweet nothings in her ear but in such a casual way that it looked like they were just sharing pleasant conversation. She didn't see that way her boyfriend's eyes narrowed as he watched them.

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"Nice dance with your boss?" Josh said as they stood outside waiting for a cab after. She didn't catch the cutting tone.

"Oh that's Tony – he likes making me squirm" she said, without thinking.

"Hmmm, I bet."

She turned, frowning, asking him what was wrong.

"The guys totally lusting after you – I bet everyone in the room could see it on that dance floor. How do you think that made me feel?"

She shook her head "Josh, Tony is like that with everyone he meets. It was a dance, nothing more. He grabs me for one at every event we both happen to be at – it's like a little tradition."

Josh shook his head, "Can you not see that the guy totally wants to jump you?"

"How is that my fault?" she replied defensively.

"Well maybe if you didn't jump to his every beck and call..."

"Josh, that's my job! That's actually the most accurate job description, pander to Tony Stark's every beck and call! And do you know what? I love my job, I'm good at it, and I love..."

The chiming of Josh's phone cut her off and she felt a rush of air expel from her lungs. She had almost said that she loved Tony. The phone had saved her skin. But now her attention was being drawn back to Josh who was talking animatedly on the phone. As he hung up, he looked glum.

"I've gotta go to the airport. My dad has taken a turn for the worst. I've gotta go be with him."

"I'm sorry, that's awful. Do you...take the cab when it comes. I'll call Happy to pick me up."

He smiled and leaned in to kiss her, whispering 'I love you' as he pulled away. The cab had stopped beside them and Pepper was thankful for its timing. She stepped back towards the hotel, reaching into her purse for her phone. That was when she heard the familiar voice behind her.

"R8s parked on the corner"

She closed her eyes, smiling. She felt guilty. She always did. She knew she had to finish with Josh before everything was ruined.

But despite that feeling of guilt, she found she couldn't resist the warm hand that had slid onto her bare shoulder.

"Lead the way," she said, her mind harking back to his remark from earlier in the night.

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	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

 _I'm so, sooooooo sorry for the delay – so many different parts of real life took over! To make up for it, here's an extra long chapter with another to follow shortly!_

Josh's father passed away about five days after the ball. Given the circumstances, Obi pushed his start date at Stark out until January saying that it wasn't vital that the role was filled immediately and that it could be taken as compassionate leave.

Pepper hadn't been able to get out of attending the funeral but did manage to escape back to LA after just one night as there was a series of heavy meetings coming up to tie in with end of year targets. Josh had stayed with his mother for another week.

She had felt awkward being introduced to various members of his family, she felt like a fraud which she figured she was. She had never cheated on anyone before and it was eating her up inside that she was doing it now but it had simply been impossible to find a moment that didn't make it seem like she was sliding a knife into Josh's back.

Things remained the same with Tony over the weeks after the funeral – they worked, argued and made up in spectacular fashion. Sometimes she thought he only argued with her so that they could have vigorous sex – not that any excuse was needed for that either.

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On the exact evening that Pepper had planned to break up with Josh, once and for all, Tony destroyed her plan.

She had been sitting having a quiet take-out with Josh, building herself up to having that conversation with him when her phone rang and Tony's face flashed across the screen. She swallowed the piece of chicken she was chewing on and picked up the phone.

"Oh for god's sake..." Josh had muttered but she ignored him and answered the phone. She should have been but was not prepared for what greeted her on the line. Tony was drunk. Or at least, well on the way. She couldn't really hear what he was saying because it was obvious that he was in a bar somewhere but she definitely heard something about his parents. She put a hand up to her forehead, realising the date and shook her head.

"Oh damn it, no."

Josh watched her quietly from he sat as she paced and tried to get Tony to tell her where he was but he only babbled about how hot she had looked in the office the day before. Because he was shouting she feared that Josh could hear the conversation. She finally lost her cool.

"Tony! For god's sake, where the hell are you?"

There was silence on the other end before a different voice announced itself as a barman and told her the address of the bar. She was already grabbing her car keys as she hung up the phone.

"You can't be serious." Her boyfriend's voice rang in the air. She shook her head and told him that it was important and she had to go.

"Are you kidding me? I heard the call. The guy's drunk and he's calling you? Come on babe, this is ridiculous, this is way beyond the day job..."

Pepper stopped and looked at him.

"Josh. Tony doesn't get drunk. He doesn't even drink most of the time and he only gets drunk when something is bothering him. This time of year, it's tough on him for obvious reasons."

Josh shook his head, "But how is that your concern?" She stared at him as if he had two head.

"How is it my concern? It's my concern because Tony is not just my boss, he's a friend." When there was no response to that, she headed for the hallway.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you were fucking him..."

A million possibilities flashed into her mind. She could say any number of things 'You don't know better', 'You're right, I am', and any manner of other options. But that went against her plan of letting him down gently. But, even though she couldn't really claim to be squeaky clean she was pissed off at her boyfriend making such a suggestion.

"Be gone out of here when I get back" she said curtly.

"Will you be back?" he asked pointedly and she considered that for a moment. In all likelihood Tony would collapse in a stupor leaving her plenty of opportunity to leave but there was a chance that he wouldn't also.

"I don't know. It depends on how bad he is."

He stood up, nodding his head and grabbing his jacket. He swept past her and out the door, letting it slam a little more forcefully than usual behind him. She sighed and moved to the bedroom to dress in something just slightly less informal than yoga pants.

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Tony was staring into an almost empty glass of whiskey when Pepper walked into the dingey, dark bar that he had found. She often wondered how he knew about these places but that wasn't really a concern right now.

He looked so helpless and lost at the counter. She caught the eye of the barman and nodded, figuring he had been the person she'd spoken to on the phone. She laid a hand on his shoulder as she reached the counter and felt his muscles tense and then relax.

"Come on Tony, let's go home."

He looked up at her, eyes glazed and she figured that he was a bit drunker than initially thought on entering.

"My house – big, big mansion, loads of rooms, nobody in them. Just me, hee hee hee, the mad scientist wandering around, on his own. Always on his own..." he slurred and reached to down the last of his whiskey.

"You're not on your own Tony. You know that. Now come on, let's get you home."

He looked up at her, smiling lovingly and reaching a hand for her hair.

"I am on my own – everyone says I'm not but everyone only stays for a short time. They all leave eventually, just like my mom and dad. Why didn't they bring me with them, huh? I could have gone, they knew that, but nope, 'let's get away from Tony'. You'll feel that way too, eventually, soon. How's Josh?"

Pepper knew that trying to talk to him right now was futile but that last remark pissed her off and she grabbed his arm, pulling him to his feet.

"We're leaving now." she said firmly and he followed her lead, a little afraid not to.

She half pushed, half dragged him out the door and pushed him into the passenger seat of car. He chuckled to himself as she got into the car.

"There you go Potts – pushing me around, wanting to get rid of me as quick as you can."

She started the engine before turning to him.

"I'm pushing you around because you're talking crap and you're being unfair to me and everything that's going on between us. Tony, you may not realise this but I'm not your parents or anyone else that's left you – I'm the only one who HASN'T done that! Because I love you even though you make it downright impossible sometimes with your own self-loathing!"

He chuckled at that, finding something outrageously funny about it all. It was as if a button had been pressed and he could stop laughing . She was getting annoyed as she sped through green light after green light. Thankfully they seemed to be changing in her favour.

As he quietened down again, he sniffed and looked up at her saying "So how's Josh?"

She damn near slammed the brakes right there and then but she hardened her jaw and told him curtly that he was fine.

"Uh huh, waiting for you to get home is he?"

She said nothing, knowing that it was exactly what he wanted and she refused to have a blazing row with him while driving in LA traffic. Tony, however, wasn't planning on shutting up anytime soon.

"I bet he's...sitting in your apartment after doing your dishes and cleaning the kitchen, thinking how lucky he is to have such a wonderful, gorgeous, faithful girlfriend..." At that he started chuckling again and Pepper was very tempted to stop the car and just push him to fend for himself.

He continued, "Little does the guy know that she's not only cheating on him but she's cheating with him on the guy she's cheating with on him...does that make sense?" He looked confused and Pepper angrily took the exit towards his mansion. He looked at her then, seeminlgy just noticing her silence. She finally said something.

"Tony, you're drunk."

"Of course I'm drunk. It's my parents' anniversary, I've got a big empty house with nobody in it, and the only good thing in my life is off playing happy families with a shmuck on the other side of town. I'm in fucking hell, Pepper."

The gates to the mansion closed behind them as they drove in and Pepper chose not to reply until she had killed the engine at his front door. Then, she turned to him.

"Do you know what I was doing tonight?"

"Josh. Don't rub it in."

She reached out and slapped him across the chest, surprising him into paying attention to her.

"Don't be vulgar. Anyway you're wrong. Yes, I was with Josh. We were in the middle of dinner when you rang. A dinner that I invited him over for, especially so that I could break up with him. After the hospital ball and his father's funeral I knew I couldn't continue doing this to any of us anymore."

He shook his head, "You..."

"Yes, but then you rang and fucked it all up on me."

He rarely if ever heard Pepper swear. It was something she just didn't do unless he had her wound up like a clock in the bedroom. He sighed and it had the same effect as if he had just been deflated. It also seemed that he had sobered up remarkably in the space of a few minutes. He turned to her, dropping one hand to her knee and reaching the other into her hair, smiling as she melted into his touch.

"Pepper I'm sorry. I just..."

"It's ok. It shouldn't have gone on this long, you were right about that. But why didn't you talk to me today about your parents rather than going off the rails?"

He shrugged, saying it was Saturday and he hadn't wanted to disturb her when they hadn't planned anything. He also pointed out that she, of all people, should be capable of recognising that this was nowhere near 'going off the rails' in Tony Stark's mind. She chuckled at that and agreed with him, reaching for his hand and bringing his knuckles to her lips.

"I love you," he said then, watching her intently, "More than anything or anyone that I've ever loved."

She smiled and told him that she loved him too.

"Stay with me tonight," he said softly and though she wanted nothing more, she knew that she had to close a different chapter in her book. She leaned across and kissed him soundly, letting her tongue mingle with his, pouring all of her emotion into it.

"I wish I could but...I've got unfinished business that needs to be sorted tonight," she said pointedly and he nodded, understanding before suggesting she come back after that. She let her forehead rest against his and, pointing out the time, said that what he needed right now was sleep.

"Having you with me makes me sleep better," he whispered and she nodded her head.

"Soon."

He kissed her again, willing her to stay but she broke away and stroked his cheeks once before turning back towards her steering wheel. He took the hint and exited the car, thanking her for coming to get him. She watched as he walked into the house before turning the ignition and heading back towards the city, dialling Josh's number as she did.

IM * IM * IM* IM* IM*

Josh had been asleep when she rang but had insisted that she come over when she suggested she wait until the morning. That had made her grimace. He probably thought she was coming over to apologise and make up.

She steeled herself as she parked in a space outside his house and shut off the engine. She checked her phone before getting out. There was a message from Tony – _Thanks for tonight. Good luck with Josh. Can't wait to have you all to myself._ She smiled and sent back a message telling him that she loved him and he should sleep.

Then, taking a deep breath, she got out of the car and walked to the house. She was just about to use her key when the door opened and Josh, dressed in sweat pants and a t-shirt opened up. He smiled at her and leaned to kiss her as she came in. She let him but promptly made her way to the kitchen with him behind.

"Everything ok?" he asked in a concerned tone and suddenly she felt her confidence drain from her. Why oh why hadn't she just told him in anger earlier on that she was screwing around? She took a deep breath and nodded her head, sitting down on one of the high chairs at the breakfast counter.

"Well great, let's go to bed," he said, reaching for her hand but she pulled it from his reach.

"Josh, this isn't working," she said quickly, not looking at him.

"What?"

"I'm sorry."

There was silence for a minute and she could see him briefly shaking his head as he processed it, "No, I don't accept that. Everything's been great, how can you say it's not working? Tell me what I've done and I'll fix it."

She shook her head and said it wasn't that simple.

"Could you please look at me when you're doing this?" Josh suddenly asked and she felt a flair of annoyance at the tone in his voice, even though she could understand his sentiments. She looked up at him, shaking her head.

"I'm sorry Josh. It's not anything that you've done. It's me. I just, this just isn't working for me anymore," she said honestly, looking him in the eye.

"It's him, isn't it?" His voice didn't sound annoyed, just resigned. She took a deep breath but said nothing. She didn't think she could honestly convey the necessary outrage to meet his accusation. She watched as he nodded his head.

"I don't know why I'm surprised. I had a feeling, right from the very start, that I was never going to get all of you, that you'd never really be mine. How long has it been going on?"

This was the part that she didn't want to get into in any great detail so she lied to him. By telling the truth.

"About six years."

He shook his head before nodding it in acceptance.

"I suppose I saw it. I just hoped I'd be able to break the spell. But I guess it takes something special to upstage Tony Stark..."

He looked away from her and took a deep breath.

"I'm so sorry Josh."

He held up a hand and nodded again before looking at her through glassy eyes.

"How do you know that he feels the same as you do?"

That threw her momentarily. She had assumed he had figured out the affair but obviously not so she decided to roll with it.

"I don't. But until I do, it's not fair to use someone to convince my own heart otherwise."

He nodded his head at that, accepting it. She stood hastily and moved towards the door. She stopped next to him and pushed his spare key back into his hand, telling him that he would have no problem finding someone deserving of it. He smiled and told her to look after herself.

As she let herself out, she allowed herself a moment to consider that she may have just made a huge mistake. But then Tony's face popped into her head and she banished the previous thought to the pit of her mind.

IM* IM* IM* IM* IM*


End file.
